Edward M. Kennedy Institute Opening in Boston to the Public on March 31

-

Excitement is building for the new Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, which opens its doors to the public on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. We spoke with Bill DeWalt, Executive Vice President & Museum Director, about Boston’s newest visitor attraction.

How influential was the late Senator Ted Kennedy in shaping the Institute’s vision and mission?

Certainly, the Senator was very involved with the conceptualization and initial planning of the Institute. He even kept a model of the building on his dining room table. His wife, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, who is the co-founder of the Institute and the president of our board, has done a masterful job leading us to where we are today.

Although the Institute bears Senator Kennedy’s name and is infused with his love of public service, he was very clear that he did not want this to be a memorial to him. He wanted the Institute to be a non-partisan center of learning about the important role that the United States Senate plays in our democracy.

The Senator was also very involved in choosing the location of the Institute to be next to the John F. Kennedy Library and on the campus of UMass – Boston.  Our strong partnerships with both institutions will enhance and inform our mission.

Tell us about the audience the EMK Institute hopes to attract.

The Institute will be a valuable resource for everyone from students to seniors. Our exhibits are designed to appeal to people of all ages, and we will offer a variety of programs, lectures and symposia for adults. Stay tuned for announcements about the distinguished individuals who will be speaking at the Institute.

We are also especially mindful of our location on Columbia Point and in Boston, and plan to launch programming this spring of interest to the local community.

The Institute will certainly attract an international clientele. How do you present such a distinctly American institution as the US Senate to visitors from around the world?

In many ways, the story of the United States Senate is the story of our uniquely American democracy. It is about the search for common ground and the courage to tackle the big problems throughout our nation’s history. From our focus groups with diverse audiences from the U.S. and around the world, we know that that story will be accessible to all visitors.

As far as translation, we are offering multiple languages on the digital tablet that guides non-English speakers through the exhibit. Spanish, French, German, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, and Portuguese languages will be available initially. These translations provide high-level interpretations of the basic content introduced with each exhibit. In addition, translators will be available for tour groups, for a small fee.

Can you tell us what the EMK Institute signifies for you personally?

This project is a way for me to translate the appreciation I have for all of the opportunities this country has given me. My parents only had grade school educations and my father worked most of his life as a coal miner. I was fortunate to earn bachelor’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Connecticut and eventually to become a Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Pittsburgh. I served as Director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and as Founding President and Director, established the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix.

At the EMK Institute, I am using my academic and museum experience to encourage visitors to become engaged in our democratic system and to inspire the next generation of civic leaders.

Unfortunately I never had the chance to meet the senator in person, but I know that many aspects of my own life and of everyone in the United States have been positively affected by the legislation in which he was involved. Senator Kennedy worked across the aisle to improve our nation in areas like civil rights, health care, immigration policy, education and so many more.

I am honored and privileged that I am one of the large number of talented, committed people who are bringing Ted and Vicki’s vision to life – and I look forward to welcoming the world to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate to see what we have built.


For more information, visit the Edward M. Kennedy Institute online.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Declan Crowley is new Cultural Programming Manager at the Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston

-
Image
The Irish Cultural Centre of Greater Boston (ICC) has announced the appointment of Declan Crowley as its new Cultural Programming Manager. Declan's primary role will be to curate a diverse lineup of Irish, Irish-American, and Celtic artists to perform at the Centre throughout the year, from musicians, singers and dancers to writers, filmmakers, historians and artists, while catering to a wide audience of people who cherish Irish culture. Crowley brings a wealth of experience and artistic vision to his new role.  Originally from Burnt Hills, NY, he is an eight-time Regional, two- time National, and All-Ireland Champion Irish dancer, as well as a two-time silver and bronze medal holder at the World Championships and a NFAA youngArts™️ Silver Medalist in World Dance, Crowley began touring internationally with Michael Flatley’s “Lord of the Dance” in 2009, where he played the principal role of ‘Don Dorcha, the Dark Lord’ until 2013. While completing his B.A. in English at the College ...
Read more

General Edward L. Logan, Namesake of Boston's Logan International Airport

-
Image
General Edward L. Logan (1875-1939), namesake of Boston’s Logan International Airport , died on July 6 1939 from a sudden 'heart ailment.'  His brother, Reverend Leo J. Logan, presided over the funeral mass at the Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston, with tributes by leading politicians like Senator David I. Walsh , former Massachusetts Governor and Boston Mayor James M. Curley and former Mayor John F. Fitzgerald .  Logan is buried at the Calvary Cemetery in West Roxbury.  A first generation Irish-American, military leader, civic leader and municipal judge with family roots in Galway and South Boston,  Edward was the oldest of nine children of Lawrence and Catherine (O’Connor), according to Michael Cummings of Milton, an expert on the Logan Family. Edward’s father Lawrence immigrated to Boston from Ballygar, County Galway, in 1858, and became a successful businessman at a young age when he became president of the Boston Brewing Company in South Boston.  The ...
Read more

Boston's Irish International Immigrant Center now called Rian Immigrant Center

-
Image
The Irish International Immigrant Center, one of Boston’s leading immigrant advocacy groups for over three decades, has changed its name to  Rian Immigrant Center . Rian (Ree-Ann), the Irish word for path, honors the groups Irish roots while reflecting its inclusive mission of empowering immigrant and refugee families on the path to opportunity, safety and a better future for all. The Center’s new logo is inspired by the Giant's Causeway on the north coast of Ireland, natural hexagonal stones formed 60 million years ago by cooling lava. The symbol represents how the Rian Immigrant Center provides the support to chart a pathway forward. “Our work has never been in higher demand,” said  Ronnie Millar,  executive director of the Rian Immigrant Center. “In recent years that path has grown more difficult. Legal obstacles, bureaucratic thickets, even physical barriers obstruct the path to legal status and citizenship. Together with our public and private par...
Read more